It is increasingly easy to find examples of weird advertising, marketing and branding campaigns out there, what with companies and ad agencies realizing that weird is good when it comes to advertising.
The more peculiar an ad or marketing campaign, the longer it is likely to linger in the memory. So if you can combine a strange approach with an inherently intelligent or compelling message, you might be on the road to creating an epic campaign.
A lot of weird advertising campaigns involve an interactive element. With experiential marketing becoming increasingly popular, companies are looking to get their customers involved in the brand experience, whether this means scaling an ice wall in a parking lot or backtracking to avoid falling through a disappearing floor at an apparel store.
42 Examples of Bizarre Advertising
From Immersive Beer Campaigns to Disappearing Floor Stunts:
Rahul Kalvapalle — Oct 20, 2014 — Marketing
42
Disappearing Floor Stunts
This 'The North Face' Stunt Gave Shoppers Quite a Scare
41
Abbreviated Anatomy Advertising
Mercedes-Benz Brake Assist Plus Ads Make Feet More Effective
40
Animal Hybrid Ads
Smokaccino's Ads Combine Land and Sea Critters to Make Weird Animal Hybrids
39
Severed Limb Stunts
A Model of a Severed Leg is the Star of This Mini Cooper Advertising Stunt
38
Bizarre Tea Packaging
Mnum's Little People Wear Tea Bags as Towels
37
Canine Custom Campaigns
These Date-a-Dog Ads Invite Aspiring Puppy Owners to Adopt
36
Hidden Animal Ads
The Johannesburg Zoo Campaign is Cleverly Camouflaged
35
Sweater-Sharing Roomie Ads
The KAYAK Roommates Campaign Gets Weirdly Intimate
34
Uncensored Animal-Infused Ads
These Peculiar Ads Reveal Animals’ Junk from a Worm’s Ey
33
Oddball Cable Commercials
The VH1 'If You Like' Ad Invites You To Its "Wonderful World"
32
Ambient Auto Ads
Teco Cipriano Promos the MINI in Peculiar Places
31
Backwards Body Branding
The Reebok EasyTone Turn Campaign Keeps Everything Aligned
30
Beast-Repairing Ads
This WWF Promotion Features Animals Being Treated Like Autos
29
Immersive Beer Campaigns
Heineken's 'The Guest of Honor' Production is Designed to Go Viral
28
Freaky Flavored Chips
Walker's ‘Cajun Squirrel' and ‘Chilli & Chocolate'
27
Frozen Barbecue Ads
The R K Swamy BBDO 'Parit' Ad Plays With Your Senses
26
Disgusting Floor Cleaner Ads
This Bissell Canada Ad Shows a Man Eating Off a Subway Platform Floor
25
Hybrid Human Campaigns
These Manpower Experis Ads Get You Ahead in Your Career
24
Secondhairy Head Ads
This Image Hair Group Campaign Treats Crown and Chin as the Same Charge
23
Creepy Collector Ads
The Footlocker Collectable Shoes Campaign Focuses on Strange Hobbies
22
Animal Seducing Supermodels
Unusual Flirtation Occurs in the Kate Moss for Basement Ad
21
Adventurous Beer Drinker Ads
The 2014 Bud Light Super Bowl Ad is Full of Celebs and Surprises
20
Cat-Operated Pizza Shops
Pizza Cat is a Web Series by Pizza Hut That Replaces Employees with Cats
19
Mind-Controlled Car Promos
The Hyundai i30 Online Hypnosis Experiment is a Head Trip
18
Eerie Hoarding Ads
This Foot Locker Promotion Features Disturbing Images of Hoarding
17
Campsite Publicity Stunts
Zipcar Creates Sidewalk Couch & Camping Display
16
Ice Wall Publicity Stunts
Speed Stick Gear Literally Brings Men's Hygiene to New Heights
15
Submarine Clothing Campaigns
The Monki Store is a Colorful Shopping Adventure
14
Vaporized Vodka Ads
The Smoke Vodka Campaign by McCann Erickson is Super Sultry
13
Awkward Breast-Resting Campaigns
This Breast Cancer Campaign Promotes 'Mamming'
12
Whimsical Whisky Branding
The Entertainer Whisky Packaging Induces Wonder and Visual Interest
11
Peculiar President Ads
This Funny Snickers Chocolate Ad Shows How Hunger Changes You
10
Absurd Image Search Ads
These Getty Image Search Advertisements Whittle Down Crazy Search Terms
9
Disturbing Faux Candy Commercials
This Unofficial Tic Tac Commercial is Outlandish
8
Bizarre Cracker Commercials
Wasa's Funny Food Commercial Has an American Wowed by Swedish Health
7
Morphed Mouth Advertising
The Sala de Pesquisa Campaign Emphasizes the Importance of Listening
6
Climatic Monkey Engine Ads
The New Volkswagen Ad Pits Monkeys Against the New Seat Engine
5
Odd City Campaigns
Three American Cities Promote Their Unique Weirdness
4
Bar Story Campaigns
Jack Daniels' Tales of Whiskey Celebrates Genuine American Bars
3
Whimsical World Cup Ads
This Puma World Cup Ad Shows Mario Balotelli Interviewing Himself
2
Bizarre Football Ads
This NFL on Fox Ad Features TV Broadcasters Leading Alternate Lives
1
Comedic Wingman Campaigns
The Ultimate Wingman is Able to Relieve You from All Your Stresses
Related Ideas
Cleverly-Disguised Fountain Cups
Pepsi's Latest Campaign Stunt Introduced 'Undercover Cups'
AI-Driven Dreamy Fashion Campaigns
ETRO's Spring 2024 Ad Campaign Uses Artificial Intelligence
Aggressive Athlete Ads
Nike Launches the Winning Isn’t for Everyone Campaign
AI-Generated Ketchup Ads
Heinz Designed an Advertisement Using the Slogan 'It has to be Heinz'
Anti-Consumption Natural Ads
The 'Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants' Ad Aims to Reducing Consumption
AI-Lead Car Ads
Ford Launched an AI Campaign Dubbed 'Be Surreal, Be Ford'
Spontaneous Summer Picnics
Absolut Vodka & Sprite's HANGOUT-OF-HOME Inspires Unplanned Gatherings
AI-Generated Real-World Transformations
AI-Artist Who Gives a Unique Design to Real Objects
Generative AI Candy Campaigns
The Starburst 'Different Every Time' Campaign is Interactive
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
Nostalgic Beer Brand Phones
The Boring Phone by Heineken Helps Adults Focus on What Really Matters
Beer-Pouring Party Billboards
JUBEL Made a Billboard That Pours Pints Invites People in to Party
Parisian Airport Pop-Ups
Moët Hennessy's Paris Concept Event Featured Travel Exclusives
Groundbreaking AR Posters
Wall's Out-of-Home Ads Make AR Experiences Unmissable with WinDOOH Tech
Hug-Inspired Olympics Campaigns
Coca-Cola's Summer Olympics Campaign was Inspired by True Events
Athlete-Backed Shoe Campaigns
Nike Released Awaken Your Madness with International Soccer Players
Naturalistic Taco Stand Campaigns
Coca-Cola Launched a Street Photography Campaign in Norway
Humorous Automotive Campaigns
Hyundai’s 'Where Have You Been?' Ad Merges Nostalgia and Branding
Illustrative 420 Campaigns
Vizie Unveils His Latest Work for Grassroots' 420 Campaign
Purposeful Consumer-Focused Campaigns
IKEA's Sleepfluencers Campaign is a Clever Way to Give Back
Exaggerated Holiday Displays
Nordstrom NYC's 'Wonder All the Way' Campaign is Larger-Than-Life
Pop Art Beer Branding
Budweiser and Sir Peter Blake Collaborated on a New Can
Hug-Activated Marketing Machines
UNIQLO France and The Pull Launch the Hug to Unlock Ad
Employee Fragrance Campaigns
Lidl's Fragrance Campaign Features Local Talent with Celebrity Names
AI-Generated Soup Can Art
The Campbell’s 'pAIntings' Initiative is Inspired by Artistic Greats
Athletic Apparel Interactive Billboards
Gymshark Unveils the Shoplift Campaign Ahead of Sale
Reactive Fan-Based Football Campaigns
Coors Light Launched a New 'Coors Light Coors Light' Spot
Lazy Cereal Campaigns
SURREAL Cereal Cheekily Pokes Fun at New Year's Resolutions
Creative Play Pop-Ups
The Sharpie Studio Offered Opportunities for Creativity at SXSW
QSR Menu Billboard Campaigns
Burger King Shows Real Burger Sizes with Real Size Campaigns
Seasonal Phone Booth Activations
Spotify's Q4 is Calling Urges Brands to Start Holiday Advertising
History-Centric Advertisements
Royal Ontario Museum's Epic Natural History Ad is Inspiring
Iconic Character-Inspired Campaigns
Etsy's Christmas Ad Celebrates Personalized Gifting
Film-Inspired Cocktail Experiences
Absolut Vodka Hosted a Wicked Cocktail Event in NYC
AI-Generated Holiday Soda Ads
The Coca-Cola Holidays Are Coming Ad Has Been Updated with AI
Convention-Challenging AC Campaigns
Samsung's WindFree Ad Stars a Savvy Grandma-Fluencer
Authenticity-Emphasizing Beer Campaigns
Firestone Walker Brewing Company Launches This is 805 Beer
Provocative AR Campaigns
NotCo's 'Not So Happy Animals' Presents Food Logos in a New Light
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Nature-Reconnecting Outdoor Campaigns
Mammut Encouraged People to Reconnect with Nature
Offbeat Fashion Campaigns
ASOS 'Inspired By' Delivers Non-Traditional Inspiration to Style-Seekers
Japanese-Inspired Seltzer Launches
Suntory’s Unusual Your Usual Campaign is Authentically Quirky
Craveable Soda Packaging
Sprite is Reviving Its Obey Your Thirst Campaign for a New Generation
Eerie Film-Based Deodorant Campaigns
Secret Deodorant Debuts a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Commercial
Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads
Surreal's Out-of-Home Campaign Speaks to Marketers, Not Consumers
Ice Cream Stick-Inspired Campaigns
KFC Brazil Gets Creative with Its 'Prize on a Bone' Campaign
Playful Retail Pop-Up Installations
Selfridges Unveils the Joke Shop with a Slapstick Generator
Live Shopping Flagships
Outlandish's Santa Monica Location Supports Live Social Media Shopping
Cross-Category Refreshment Campaigns
Sprite and Pringles Hot Have Teamed Up for a New Campaign
Festive Advent Campaigns
Cadbury's 24 Out-of-Home Ads Represent the Countdown to Christmas
Data-Driven QSR Campaigns
Burger King's BK Unwrapped Reveals Customers' 2024 Ordering Preferences
Soda Logo Rebranding Campaigns
Pepsi's New Logo Goes Across the Globe with a Bright Light Show
Country-Conjoining Beer Can Designs
Heineken Spotlights One Shared Star Motif on its Cans
Gen Z-Influenced Marketing Campaigns
Kraft Heinz is Studying Gen Z's Preferences with New Launches
Mystery-Style Holiday Ads
Waitrose Adds Mystery to the Festive Season with ‘Sweet Suspicion’ Ad
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Adventurous Roadtrip Retail Campaigns
The Pilot Flying J 'See You Out Here' Campaign is Relatable
Smart Shopping Cart Ads
Instacart Unveiled Ads for Its AI-Powered Caper Carts
Gamified In-Airport Activations
Haribo's Mobile Games Gives People of All Ages the Chance to Win
Visual Museum Campaigns
MoMA’s New Museum Campaign Transforms NYC into an Art Lover’s Paradise
Timeless Gin Campaigns
Tanqueray Debuts the Classic or Nothing Campaign
Neighborhood-Inspired Campaigns
Kotn's F/W 2024 Collection is Released with a Witty Short-Film
Super Bowl Drive-Thru Commercials
Taco Bell Debuts Its Live Más Drive-Thru Cams Campaign
Anthropomorphic Store Campaigns
IKEA's Short Social Films Promote Its Click-and-Collect Service
In-Game Advertising Services
StackAdapt Offers Engaging Game Advertising for its Clients
Mindful-Shopping Campaigns
The Ordinary’s 'Slovember' Campaign Promotes Intentional Shopping
Virtual Pub Museums
Heineken Pub Museums Spotlight Important Cultural Locations
Visual Beer Brand Identities
Grolsch Has Unveiled a New Visual Brand Identity in Canada
Discerning Drinker Pop-Ups
Fentimans' Pop-Up Inspires People to Choose More Interesting Beverages
Car-Specific Video Commerce
Audi and Bambuser Make a Significant Evolution in Business Strategy
Eco-Minded Millennial Ads
Coors Seltzer's 'Call to Inaction' Campaign Aims to Save Water
Do-Good Pizza Taste Tests
The Good Tastes Better Social Experiment Sees Purpose Impact Perception
Footballer-Backed Global Campaigns
Pepsi Unveils the 'Where There's a Ball There's a Way' Campaign
Connected Beer Jerseys
Miller Lite's Running of the Beer Ads Turns Fans into Walking Billboards
Imaginative Condiment Campaigns
Heinz's 'You Can Already Taste It' Features a "No Taste Test"
Interactive Beer Giveaways
Dos Equis and Drew Brees Offer Free Beers Tied to Football Strategies
Co-Branded Custom Ads
Lexus and Universal Pictures Partner for the 'Experience OZmazing' Spot
Stylish Soda Pop-Ups
Poppi World Enticed Health-Conscious, Fashionable Visitors During NYFW
Heritage Brand Boot Ads
Blundstone Launches Global Campaign Celebrating Personal Boot Stories
Seasonal Soda Ads
Olipop's Christmas Ad Challenges Big Soda
Cheerful Healthy Snack Campaigns
Garden Veggie Snacks' YUMbelievably Delicious is Innovative
Whimsical Candle Christmas Campaigns
The Yankee Candle 'Make it More Magical' Campaign is Festive
Humorous Natural Deodorant Campaigns
The Every Man Jack 'Still Smell Good' Campaign is Catchy
AI-Powered Advertising Tools
Amazon Ads Now Offers a Beta for its New AI Tools for Advertisers
Playful Gen Z Bubble Tea Campaigns
Krak Boba Launches Innovative PersonaliTEA Campaign
Quirky Plant-Based Food Ads
Gosh! Food's Falafel Advertisement is Surprising
Boneless Wing Ads
Whataburger Cleverly Launches Its Boneless Wings with This Ad
CGI-Generated Brand Updates
Tiger Beer Unveils a CGI-Generated Tiger Stripe Across Multiple Cities
All-Dark Marketing Campaigns
IKEA Introduces its Darkest Campaign Yet with Try Oslo's Help
Augmented Reality Wine Bottles
DeBortoli's AR Sinister Wine Enhances the Consumer Experience
Chicken-Centered Campaigns
KFC Released a Campaign Called 'Believe in Chicken'
Human Connection-Centric Campaigns
Etsy's New Ad Campaign Wants to Keep Commerce Human
Tongue-In-Cheek Soda Campaigns
Pepsi Jokes at Coca-Cola in It's Tastes Better Campaign
Visually Appealing Food Campaigns
Celestial Seasonings Launches the Taste Our World Campaign
Peeling Cheese Packaging Billboards
This Babybel Billboard is Inspired by the Product's Packaging
Premium Kitchen Pranks
IKEA Invented "Eureka Spiritis" to Showcase Its Quality Furnishings
Travel-inspired Brand Campaigns
Michelin Launches the On the Road and Beyond! Campaign
Artistic Multi-Beverage Ads
The Coca-Cola Family is Spotlighted in this Unique Ad
Time Capsule-Style Branding Campigns
Coors Light & Patrick Mahomes Present a Unique Project
Minimizing Phone Usage Initiatives
Heineken's Latest Campaign Addresses Phone Use at Music Events
Swipable Curated Ad Inspiration
Swipify Lets Users Swipe Through the Latest Ad Campaigns
Artistic Libation Campaigns
The Madrí Excepcional 'Paint Your Pint' Competition Challenges Fans
Wish-Granting Beer Ads
The 2024 Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial Introduces the Bud Light Genie
Heist-Themed Cheese Ads
This Maxi Babybel Ad Celebrates the Cheese's Return
Artful Illusory Ads
giffgaff's Large-Scale Illusion Artwork Challenges Inattentional Blindness
Anniversary-Celebrating Storytelling Ads
The Walt Disney Company Mark Marvel's 85th Anniversary
Imperfect Produce Subscriptions
Odd Bunch Delivers Oddly Shaped Produce to Consumers' Doors
AI-Crafted Banking Ads
The U.S. Bank Debuts 'The Power of Us' Campaign
Empowering Car Ads
CarMax's New Ad Campaign Takes a Witty Approach
Gamified Yogurt Tube Campaigns
The Frubes Freeze ‘Em Campaign Includes a New Online Game
Reality-Bending Car Ads
CarGurus Ad Features Melting Lego and Gourmet Chef Toddlers
Scannable Skincare Murals
The Ordinary's Interactive Augmented Reality Mural Promotes Bodycare
Playful QSR Campaigns
Cossette Forms the New McDonald's Campaign to Closest Restaurant
Global Storytelling Initatives
Vans Announces its Narrative-Centric Always Pushing Campaign
Hard-To-Read Health Campaigns
A Specsavers Campaign Encourages Movie-Goers to Check their Sight
Innovative Digital Signage
Creative Realities Enhances Fan Engagement & Outcomes with New Signage
Social Connection Campaigns
Beavertown Brewery's Is This Seat Taken? Campaign Unites Strangers
Hyper-Local Gym Ads
GymBox's Made for London Life Ads Juxtapose City Living and Gym-Going
Gut-Friendly Kombucha Campaigns
Health-Ade's Thrill Your Gut Highlights the Benefits of Kombucha
Drone Marketing Initatives
LEGO Takes to the Sky with Drone Show and Aerial Messages
Status Quo Defying Campaigns
The 'We Aren't Made To Be Still' Campaign Intersects Whisky with Life
Dynamic Auto Marketing Campaigns
Hyundai Promotes Its Electrical Vehicle Line-up
Skateboarding-Inspired Ads
Vans Launched the ‘Always Pushing’ Ad Highlighting Skating Culture
Ice Cream-Inspired Superbowl Campaigns
Häagen-Dazs Aims to Connect with Younger Consumers
Athlete-Inspired AI Brand Campaigns
AngelAi Taps a Groups of Athletes to Promote Its Ethos
Frozen Pizza-Centered Campaigns
Dr. Oetker Debuts the Frozen Pizza Publicist Campaign
Short Film-Inspired Ads
Apple’s New ‘The Underdogs’ Ad Features Various Apple Products
Revamped Juice Overhauls
Ocean Spray Announces a Brand Overhaul with Modern Influences
Mango-Scented Newspaper Ads
Swiggy Instamart Launched a Scented Campaign in the Times of India
Advertising Demand-Side Platforms
Yahoo Launched Yahoo Creative to Help Advertisers
Bar Cart Mascots
Tito's New Ad Series Features an Anthropomorphic Bar Cart with Mixology Skills
Comedic Groundhog Day Campaigns
Lay's Flavor for Days Campaign Taps into Groundhog Day
Billboard-Transformed Tent Shelters
Wunderman Thompson Morocco Creates the Life-Saving Outdoors
Debunking AI Apps
BSBot Helps Publicis Clients Tell the Truth About AI from Fiction at Cannes
Unconventional Foodie Magazines
Food& Magazine Explores the Weird and Wonderful World of Food
Classic Ad Campaign Revivals
Seagram's 7 Crown is Reviving Old Ads for Its New Campaign
Spontaneity-Inspired Liqueur Campaigns
Casa Redondo Strategically Relaunches the Safari Brand
Celebratory Odd Designs
Ridiculous Design Celebrates Weird and Wonderful Ideas Within Design
Subtle Marketing Pop-Ups
FOMO Nudge Encourages Users to Buy with Subtle Pop-Ups
Grocery Store Ad Spots
Morrisons, the UK Supermarket Chain, Celebrates Its Low Pricing in This Ad